Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the Fifth Sunday of the Year

Christianity in general, and
Catholicism in particular, have frequently been blamed for generating
unnecessary, unhealthy, and morbid guilt in the hearts of its members thereby
depriving them of simple joy in the good things of life. Peter’s encounter with
Jesus (described in this morning’s gospel) would seem to lend support to this
not uncommon perception of Christianity. For, depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man, certainly sounds like
guilt and unhealthy guilt at that. For what had Peter done to be guilty about?
Despite having worked hard all night
and caught nothing, Peter humbly obeys
Jesus’ instruction to put out into deep water and lower the nets, yet again! According
to the gospel it was the sight of the catch of fish that generated this sense
of guilt and unworthiness. But why?

I suspect that the guilt came
from realizing what he had been thinking even as he obeyed Jesus’ instruction
about lowering the nets again. Perhaps the outward obedience was not matched by
an inner docility and, instead, lowering the nets was done with inner
resentment and resistance. After all, what did a carpenter, turned Rabbi, know
about fishing! And so, seeing all the fish, Peter is momentarily overwhelmed by
guilt and regret for his negative thoughts and lack of true inner docility to
the Master’s instruction. However, what is significant is that Peter doesn’t
see this as deserving of some external punishment, rather, he feels himself
unworthy of associating with Jesus and being his disciple. And this, perhaps, illustrates
one of the defining features of authentic and productive guilt: namely, that it
is not self-focused, but other-focused.

This is to recall that we can
experience guilt and shame through wounded pride when all we are really
concerned about is how we have failed ourselves and not lived up to our
personal ideals. To the degree that such guilt incorporates others, it is only
to resent those who are deemed superior to us or look down on those thought to
be morally weaker than ourselves. A similarly unhealthy guilt, that is likewise
self-focused, involves guilt over having broken a law or disobeyed a
commandment. Here the concern is primarily the prospect of punishment for our
transgression, with little or no concern for its impact on others and our
relationship with them. In contrast, it is when guilt is bound up with concern for others and how our actions have
injured them that it can be termed healthy and conducive to transformation and
growth.

This is especially true in our
relationship to God. Saint Bernard’s three stages of love—that of the slave,
the hireling, and the son/daughter—also describe three corresponding stages of
guilt. The self-focused guilt of the slave who dreads punishment for
wrongdoing, the guilt of the hireling whose primary concern is what he might
lose through his sinful behavior, and that of the son or daughter whose
overriding anxiety is loss of God’s love and consequent separation from him.
This seems to have been what Peter feared and his insistence that Jesus depart
from him because of his sinfulness, was the opposite of what he truly desired.
Jesus recognized this and instead of departing used this awkward and painful interaction
as the moment of Peter’s call to discipleship and mission.

And so we see that unhealthy
and self-focused guilt simply imprisons us in ourselves leaving us isolated and
unhappy. In contrast, by focusing our attention on the impact our behavior has
had on our relationships to God and others, healthy and authentic guilt
maintains us in relationship to others and opens us to receive forgiveness, healing,
and inner freedom. Somewhat paradoxically, then, authentic guilt’s capacity to
open us to God and others makes it a powerful means to deepening intimacy with
God and enhancing our life-giving relationships with others. And if this is
true, then the claim that Christianity instills guilt is perhaps an unintended
compliment!

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Comments

Like so many other steps in the journey to oneness with the Creator, I find my path to be inconsistent. I spend time in each of the types of guilt that you describe, instead of in other-centered guilt, alone. And yet, having spent some time in other-centered guilt, I can actually benefit from the other forms of guilt, also. Keeping in mind my relationship with God, others and myself is very helpful.
Thanks for the reflection, Fr. Joseph!
Peace.